Donaldson (NYSE:DCI) Hits New 52-Week Low Following Weak Earnings

Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as low as $65.10 and last traded at $68.21, with a volume of 37574 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $69.25.

The industrial products company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by ($0.02). Donaldson had a net margin of 11.56% and a return on equity of 29.07%.

Donaldson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 13th will be issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 13th. Donaldson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.40%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on DCI shares. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Donaldson from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Donaldson from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Donaldson from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Donaldson currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $74.00.

Insider Transactions at Donaldson

In other news, Director Trudy A. Rautio sold 14,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.60, for a total transaction of $946,400.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 26,420 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,785,992. This represents a 34.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Donaldson

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in Donaldson in the fourth quarter valued at $247,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in Donaldson by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 436,896 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,425,000 after buying an additional 6,696 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Donaldson by 29.2% in the fourth quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 495,724 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,387,000 after buying an additional 111,895 shares during the last quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI purchased a new position in Donaldson in the fourth quarter valued at $1,105,000. Finally, Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC increased its holdings in Donaldson by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC now owns 144,533 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $9,734,000 after buying an additional 2,710 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.81% of the company’s stock.

Donaldson Stock Down 1.8 %

The stock has a market cap of $8.12 billion, a PE ratio of 19.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.06. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $69.28 and a 200 day moving average of $72.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

About Donaldson

Donaldson Company, Inc manufactures and sells filtration systems and replacement parts worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Mobile Solutions, Industrial Solutions, and Life Sciences. Its Mobile Solutions segment provides replacement filters for air and liquid filtration applications, such as air filtration systems; liquid filtration systems for fuel, lube, and hydraulic applications; exhaust and emissions systems and sensors; indicators; and monitoring systems.